Wednesday, August 31, 2011
No Holds Barred: Renzo Gracie on ONE FC, Roger Gracie-King Mo, and ADCC Match with Mario Sperry
On this audio edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman speaks with Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, grappling, and MMA legend Renzo Gracie.
The next several weeks once again will see a hectic travel schedule for Renzo, as he is now in Singapore for the debut show of the ONE Fighting Championship. This MMA card takes place on Saturday, September 3, at the Singapore Indoor Stadium in Singapore, and will feature 16 fighters who are present or former world or national champions in various disciplines in the martial arts and combat sports, facing one another. Renzo will be cornering his cousin, Gregor Gracie, who fights Seok Mo Kim of Korea.
On Saturday, September 10, Renzo will be cornering another cousin, multi-time ADCC and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu world champion Roger Gracie. Roger will be fighting on a Strikeforce mixed martial arts card against former Strikeforce light heavyweight champion, "King" Mo Lawal. That card takes place at the U.S. Bank Arena, in Cincinnati, Ohio, and will be televised in the U.S. on Showtime.
Next, on September 24, Renzo returns to the mat himself at the most prestigious and important grappling event in the world, the ADCC 2011 Submission Fighting World Championships. Renzo will be facing another BJJ and grappling legend, Mario Sperry, in a superfight. This year's edition of the ADCC event will take place September 24-25 in Nottingham, England, at the Capital FM Arena. Some tickets are still available.
We spoke with Renzo Monday evening at his New York academy, the day before he was set to fly to Singapore. As always, Renzo was enthusiastic about all these events coming up, and discussed them all with us.
In addition, we open with some comments on the explosive growth of mixed martial arts in Asia, and some of the lessons that these new and young promoters can learn from the history of MMA around the world.
You can play or download No Holds Barred here. You can also download No Holds Barred here. If one link does not work, please try another. The show is in MP3 format, so may take some time to download.
Also, No Holds Barred is available through iTunes.
The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", by Ian Carpenter.
No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:
Beezid.com - Penny Auctions. Your #1 source for exciting auction shopping and outstanding deals on just about anything! Top rated, most trusted auction site online. Where do you shop? Beezid.com - Penny Auctions.
American Top Team. Whether you're a beginner or a champion, train with the champions in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, boxing, wrestling, grappling, and mixed martial arts at American Top Team. Check out their web site at http://americantopteam.com/.
The American Sambo Association, which is committed to becoming the premier association in the U.S. dedicated to the advancement of Sambo. Sambo is a form of sport, self-defense, and combat established in the former Soviet Union during the early twentieth century. For more information, go to ussambo.com.
Labels: ADCC, BJJ, Eddie Goldman, MMA, No Holds Barred, One FC, Renzo Gracie
Sunday, August 28, 2011
No Holds Barred: Kurt Angle on 2012 Olympic Wrestling Trials and New Film, Warrior
On this audio edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman speaks with 1996 Olympic freestyle wrestling gold medalist Kurt Angle. He also has an important role playing Koba, an undefeated Russian mixed martial arts fighter, in the new dramatic film, "Warrior".
We spoke with Kurt Angle on Friday on a media conference call about his role as Koba. The character is billed as an Olympic gold medalist wrestler and a world sambo champion, thus making him a sort of combination of Kurt Angle and Fedor Emelianenko. The critically-acclaimed "Warrior" will have its theatrical release in the U.S. on September 9.
Although he is now 42 years old and has not wrestled in real competition for a decade and a half, Kurt Angle also said that he plans to return to freestyle wrestling for the 2012 U.S. Olympic Trials. That event will be held April 21 and 22, 2012, at the Carver-Hawkeye Arena in Iowa City, Iowa, on the University of Iowa campus.
We spoke with him about his plans to compete in the Olympic Trials, the growth of the popularity of wrestling in America, why he claims that he will not wrestle in any tournament prior to the Olympic Trials, and more.
You can play or download No Holds Barred here. You can also download No Holds Barred here. If one link does not work, please try another. The show is in MP3 format, so may take some time to download.
Also, No Holds Barred is available through iTunes.
The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", by Ian Carpenter.
No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:
Beezid.com - Penny Auctions. Your #1 source for exciting auction shopping and outstanding deals on just about anything! Top rated, most trusted auction site online. Where do you shop? Beezid.com - Penny Auctions.
American Top Team. Whether you're a beginner or a champion, train with the champions in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, boxing, wrestling, grappling, and mixed martial arts at American Top Team. Check out their web site at http://americantopteam.com/.
The American Sambo Association, which is committed to becoming the premier association in the U.S. dedicated to the advancement of Sambo. Sambo is a form of sport, self-defense, and combat established in the former Soviet Union during the early twentieth century. For more information, go to ussambo.com.
We spoke with Kurt Angle on Friday on a media conference call about his role as Koba. The character is billed as an Olympic gold medalist wrestler and a world sambo champion, thus making him a sort of combination of Kurt Angle and Fedor Emelianenko. The critically-acclaimed "Warrior" will have its theatrical release in the U.S. on September 9.
Although he is now 42 years old and has not wrestled in real competition for a decade and a half, Kurt Angle also said that he plans to return to freestyle wrestling for the 2012 U.S. Olympic Trials. That event will be held April 21 and 22, 2012, at the Carver-Hawkeye Arena in Iowa City, Iowa, on the University of Iowa campus.
We spoke with him about his plans to compete in the Olympic Trials, the growth of the popularity of wrestling in America, why he claims that he will not wrestle in any tournament prior to the Olympic Trials, and more.
You can play or download No Holds Barred here. You can also download No Holds Barred here. If one link does not work, please try another. The show is in MP3 format, so may take some time to download.
Also, No Holds Barred is available through iTunes.
The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", by Ian Carpenter.
No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:
Beezid.com - Penny Auctions. Your #1 source for exciting auction shopping and outstanding deals on just about anything! Top rated, most trusted auction site online. Where do you shop? Beezid.com - Penny Auctions.
American Top Team. Whether you're a beginner or a champion, train with the champions in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, boxing, wrestling, grappling, and mixed martial arts at American Top Team. Check out their web site at http://americantopteam.com/.
The American Sambo Association, which is committed to becoming the premier association in the U.S. dedicated to the advancement of Sambo. Sambo is a form of sport, self-defense, and combat established in the former Soviet Union during the early twentieth century. For more information, go to ussambo.com.
Labels: Eddie Goldman, Koba, Kurt Angle, MMA, No Holds Barred, Olympics, Warrior, wrestling
Thursday, August 25, 2011
No Holds Barred: Matt Hume on ONE FC
On this audio edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman speaks with the veteran MMA and combat sports trainer, official, and former fighter, Matt Hume.
He has just been selected to be the head official and referee for the new mixed martial arts promotion, the ONE Fighting Championship.
ONE FC has its debut show on Saturday, September 3, at the Singapore Indoor Stadium in Singapore. This card will feature 16 fighters who are present or former world or national champions in various disciplines in the martial arts and combat sports, facing one another.
We spoke by phone with Matt Hume on Wednesday to learn about the rules, structure, and organization of ONE FC. The rules will be a unique blend of the North American unified rules and the rules used in Pride FC, where Matt was also an official. We discussed the challenges of running mixed martial arts events in areas where, unlike North America, there is little or no government regulation. ONE FC is aiming to become the largest MMA promotion in Asia, and we discussed its potential to become as popular as Pride was in its heyday. We also discussed his work and role as owner of both Genesis Fights in Seattle, Washington, and AMC Kickboxing and Pankration in Kirkland, Washington, and much more.
You can play or download No Holds Barred here. You can also download No Holds Barred here. If one link does not work, please try another. The show is in MP3 format, so may take some time to download.
Also, No Holds Barred is available through iTunes.
The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", by Ian Carpenter.
No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:
Beezid.com - Penny Auctions. Your #1 source for exciting auction shopping and outstanding deals on just about anything! Top rated, most trusted auction site online. Where do you shop? Beezid.com - Penny Auctions.
American Top Team. Whether you're a beginner or a champion, train with the champions in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, boxing, wrestling, grappling, and mixed martial arts at American Top Team. Check out their web site at http://americantopteam.com/.
The American Sambo Association, which is committed to becoming the premier association in the U.S. dedicated to the advancement of Sambo. Sambo is a form of sport, self-defense, and combat established in the former Soviet Union during the early twentieth century. For more information, go to ussambo.com.
Labels: Eddie Goldman, Matt Hume, MMA, No Holds Barred, One FC, Pride, Singapore
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
No Holds Barred: Bloodstain Lane, Stephen Koepfer, Chris Thomas, Ivy Supersonic on New Film, Warrior
On this audio edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman continues getting reaction from the combat sports world to the new, ground-breaking, mixed martial arts-themed dramatic film, "Warrior".
At a New York preview of the film last Thursday, we spoke with the popular combat sports vlogger Bloodstain Lane, Stephen Koepfer of New York Combat Sambo and the American Sambo Association, veteran MMA and combat sports journalist Chris Thomas, and New York designer and combat sports buff Ivy Supersonic. As with the first set of interviews we did after a preview of this film in April, all were very positive about it.
"Warrior", which will be released on September 9, is a riveting drama focusing on the quest of two estranged brothers to win a Grand Prix MMA tournament. It stars Tom Hardy, Joel Edgerton, and Nick Nolte. In its previews, it has deservedly received enthusiastic praise, both from general movie observers and those in the MMA community alike. Many are already predicting that the film and those involved with it will receive numerous awards.
"Warrior" is a must-see film and the first major work of art about a sport often associated with blood and vulgarity, sometimes deservedly so, and sometimes not.
(This edition of No Holds Barred includes some explicit language.)
You can play or download No Holds Barred here. You can also download No Holds Barred here. If one link does not work, please try another. The show is in MP3 format, so may take some time to download.
Also, No Holds Barred is available through iTunes.
The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", by Ian Carpenter.
No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:
Beezid.com - Penny Auctions. Your #1 source for exciting auction shopping and outstanding deals on just about anything! Top rated, most trusted auction site online. Where do you shop? Beezid.com - Penny Auctions.
American Top Team. Whether you're a beginner or a champion, train with the champions in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, boxing, wrestling, grappling, and mixed martial arts at American Top Team. Check out their web site at http://americantopteam.com/.
The American Sambo Association, which is committed to becoming the premier association in the U.S. dedicated to the advancement of Sambo. Sambo is a form of sport, self-defense, and combat established in the former Soviet Union during the early twentieth century. For more information, go to ussambo.com.
Labels: Bloodstain Lane, Eddie Goldman, Koepfer, MMA, No Holds Barred, Supersonic, Thomas, Warrior
Sunday, August 21, 2011
No Holds Barred: MMA and Mainstream Sports
On this audio edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman discusses whether the march of mixed martial arts into the world of mainstream sports is a good thing or not. We examine some of the recent instances of corruption, scandal, and tragedy in the mainstream sports. We criticize the recent statement by David Hill, chairman of the Fox Sports Media Group, which just signed a deal to televise UFC events, that MMA fighters are a "different breed" from boxers because "they're intelligent, they're smart, they're committed." We present a statement also criticizing Hill from Dr. Margaret Goodman, former ringside physician and head of the Medical Advisory Board of the Nevada State Athletic Commission. And we offer a yardstick for judging these sports, why combat sports should be special, and their real value to most people.
You can play or download No Holds Barred here. You can also download No Holds Barred here. If one link does not work, please try another. The show is in MP3 format, so may take some time to download.
Also, No Holds Barred is available through iTunes.
The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", by Ian Carpenter.
No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:
Beezid.com - Penny Auctions. Your #1 source for exciting auction shopping and outstanding deals on just about anything! Top rated, most trusted auction site online. Where do you shop? Beezid.com - Penny Auctions.
American Top Team. Whether you're a beginner or a champion, train with the champions in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, boxing, wrestling, grappling, and mixed martial arts at American Top Team. Check out their web site at http://americantopteam.com/.
The American Sambo Association, which is committed to becoming the premier association in the U.S. dedicated to the advancement of Sambo. Sambo is a form of sport, self-defense, and combat established in the former Soviet Union during the early twentieth century. For more information, go to ussambo.com.
Labels: boxing, David Hill, Eddie Goldman, Fox Sports, MMA, No Holds Barred, UFC
Wednesday, August 17, 2011
No Holds Barred: Gavin O'Connor, Director and Screenwriter of New Film, Warrior
On this audio edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman speaks with Gavin O'Connor, the director and screenwriter of the new, ground-breaking, mixed martial arts-themed dramatic film, "Warrior".
Gavin O'Connor also was the producer of the celebrated documentary "The Smashing Machine" about MMA fighter and wrestler Mark Kerr.
"Warrior", which will be released on September 9, is a riveting drama focusing on the quest of two estranged brothers to win a Grand Prix MMA tournament. It stars Tom Hardy, Joel Edgerton, and Nick Nolte. In its previews, it has deservedly received enthusiastic praise, both from general movie observers and those in the MMA community alike. Many are already predicting that the film and those involved with it will receive numerous awards.
We spoke with Gavin O'Connor on Wednesday by phone about the background to this film. "I really wanted this to be a love letter to the sport because I love the sport," he said. The verdict seems to be that he has succeeded in doing precisely that.
As we said when we saw a preview of the film in April, whether you are a fan of MMA or not, "Warrior" is a must-see film.
You can play or download No Holds Barred here. You can also download No Holds Barred here. If one link does not work, please try another. The show is in MP3 format, so may take some time to download.
Also, No Holds Barred is available through iTunes.
The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", by Ian Carpenter.
No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:
Beezid.com - Penny Auctions. Your #1 source for exciting auction shopping and outstanding deals on just about anything! Top rated, most trusted auction site online. Where do you shop? Beezid.com - Penny Auctions.
American Top Team. Whether you're a beginner or a champion, train with the champions in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, boxing, wrestling, grappling, and mixed martial arts at American Top Team. Check out their web site at http://americantopteam.com/.
The American Sambo Association, which is committed to becoming the premier association in the U.S. dedicated to the advancement of Sambo. Sambo is a form of sport, self-defense, and combat established in the former Soviet Union during the early twentieth century. For more information, go to ussambo.com.
Labels: Eddie Goldman, film, Gavin O'Connor, Hardy, MMA, No Holds Barred, Nolte, Warrior
Monday, August 15, 2011
No Holds Barred: King Mo Lawal on Sept. 10 Fight with Roger Gracie, Agbeko-Mares Controversy, and Combat Sports
On this audio edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman speaks with freestyle and college champion wrestler, and the former Strikeforce light heavyweight champion, "King" Mo Lawal.
After being out of action since August 2010 because of a knee injury, "King" Mo will return on September 10 to face multi-time Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and ADCC world champion Roger Gracie on a Strikeforce MMA card in Cincinnati, Ohio.
We spoke with "King" Mo Sunday evening by phone about how he is approaching this fight. He also was in attendance at the August 13 boxing match between Joseph Agbeko and Abner Mares, and we discussed the controversy over the failure of referee Russell Mora to penalize Mares despite dozens of low blows. As always, since "King" Mo is a connoisseur of all the combat sports, we discussed what is going on in boxing, as well as international wrestling, where three-time Olympic gold medalist Buvaisar Saitiev of Russia may be making yet another Olympic run in 2012. We discussed with "King" Mo his plans for the future, how he has been training with top athletes in several combat sports, and much more.
You can play or download No Holds Barred here. You can also download No Holds Barred here. If one link does not work, please try another. The show is in MP3 format, so may take some time to download.
Also, No Holds Barred is available through iTunes.
The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", by Ian Carpenter.
No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:
Beezid.com - Penny Auctions. Your #1 source for exciting auction shopping and outstanding deals on just about anything! Top rated, most trusted auction site online. Where do you shop? Beezid.com - Penny Auctions.
American Top Team. Whether you're a beginner or a champion, train with the champions in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, boxing, wrestling, grappling, and mixed martial arts at American Top Team. Check out their web site at http://americantopteam.com/.
The American Sambo Association, which is committed to becoming the premier association in the U.S. dedicated to the advancement of Sambo. Sambo is a form of sport, self-defense, and combat established in the former Soviet Union during the early twentieth century. For more information, go to ussambo.com.
Labels: boxing, Eddie Goldman, King Mo Lawal, MMA, No Holds Barred, Roger Gracie
Sunday, August 14, 2011
No Holds Barred: Keisha Morrisey on the Agbeko-Mares Refereeing Disgrace
(Photo: Tom Casino/Showtime)
On this audio edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman speaks with our colleague and correspondent Keisha Morrisey.
In the August 13 bantamweight title fight in Las Vegas, Nevada, between Joseph Agbeko and Abner Mares, referee Russell Mora let Mares land countless low blows without even deducting a point, much less disqualifying him. In the eleventh round, Mora even counted for a knockdown after Agbeko went down from a clear shot to the groin by Mares. This was one of the worst refereeing jobs in modern boxing history, and made the majority decision victory awarded to Mares virtually meaningless.
Outrage has been virtually unanimous among those who saw the fight (except, of course, from the referee), and many are calling for an immediate rematch, as well as nullifying the decision. The New Jersey commission suspended all three judges after their absurd decision in the Lara-Williams fight earlier this year, so it will be instructive to see what action if any the Nevada commission takes regarding Mora.
We spoke by phone late Saturday night right after the Agbeko-Mares fight with Keisha Morrisey. We discussed the refereeing in this fight, what it says about the continuously declining state of boxing, what should be done next, and much more.
You can play or download No Holds Barred here. You can also download No Holds Barred here. If one link does not work, please try another. The show is in MP3 format, so may take some time to download.
Also, No Holds Barred is available through iTunes.
The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", by Ian Carpenter.
No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:
Beezid.com - Penny Auctions. Your #1 source for exciting auction shopping and outstanding deals on just about anything! Top rated, most trusted auction site online. Where do you shop? Beezid.com - Penny Auctions.
American Top Team. Whether you're a beginner or a champion, train with the champions in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, boxing, wrestling, grappling, and mixed martial arts at American Top Team. Check out their web site at http://americantopteam.com/.
The American Sambo Association, which is committed to becoming the premier association in the U.S. dedicated to the advancement of Sambo. Sambo is a form of sport, self-defense, and combat established in the former Soviet Union during the early twentieth century. For more information, go to ussambo.com.
Labels: Agbeko, boxing, Eddie Goldman, Keisha Morrisey, Mares, Mora, No Holds Barred, referee
Friday, August 12, 2011
No Holds Barred: Lisa Sabatini of Grapplers Planet
On this audio edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman speaks with journalist Lisa Sabatini of Grapplers Planet.
The "summer of grappling" is continuing, and one of its highlights thus far has been the 16-man grappling tournament, the Ultimate Absolute. This event was held July 30 in New York. Lisa traveled from Canada to cover the Ultimate Absolute, and we discussed its importance and significance. We also discussed media coverage of grappling, why and how grappling events can be very appealing to spectators, the phenomenal and continuing growth of the popularity of grappling, and much more.
You can play or download No Holds Barred here. You can also download No Holds Barred here. If one link does not work, please try another. The show is in MP3 format, so may take some time to download.
Also, No Holds Barred is available through iTunes.
The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", by Ian Carpenter.
No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:
Beezid.com - Penny Auctions. Your #1 source for exciting auction shopping and outstanding deals on just about anything! Top rated, most trusted auction site online. Where do you shop? Beezid.com - Penny Auctions.
American Top Team. Whether you're a beginner or a champion, train with the champions in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, boxing, wrestling, grappling, and mixed martial arts at American Top Team. Check out their web site at http://americantopteam.com/.
The American Sambo Association, which is committed to becoming the premier association in the U.S. dedicated to the advancement of Sambo. Sambo is a form of sport, self-defense, and combat established in the former Soviet Union during the early twentieth century. For more information, go to ussambo.com.
Labels: ADCC, BJJ, Eddie Goldman, Grapplers Planet, grappling, Lisa Sabatini, No Holds Barred
Wednesday, August 10, 2011
No Holds Barred: Agbeko-Mares Preview; Bare-Knuckle Boxing and MMA and Safety
On this audio edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman previews the finals of the Showtime bantamweight tournament featuring IBF champ Joseph King Kong Agbeko and Abner Mares, and discusses the myth that wearing gloves in boxing and MMA makes those sports safer.
This Saturday, August 13, IBF bantamweight champion Joseph King Kong Agbeko (28-2, 22 KOs) will fight the unbeaten Abner Mares (21-0-1, 13 KOs) in Las Vegas, Nevada, in a bout postponed from April when Agbeko fell victim to an attack of sciatica. Now that Agbeko is fully recovered, this much-anticipated fight will conclude the four-man Showtime bantamweight tournament.
We spoke with Joseph King Kong Agbeko and Abner Mares on a recent media conference call about the effects of this postponement and what to expect in this fight.
The issue of bare-knuckle fighting has recently come to the fore with the bare-knuckle boxing match between Bobby Gunn and Richard Stewart at the Fort McDowell Yavapai Nation Casino and Hotel in Fountain Hill, Arizona, outside Scottsdale, on August 5, 2011. This appeared to be a planned mismatch in favor of Gunn, who won by third-round knockout, and the health and safety standards were suspect since no member of the Association of Boxing Commissions was regulating it.
However, the condemnation of this bare-knuckle contest by the Association of Boxing Commissions and others raises the issue of the relative safety of sports like boxing and MMA when they are conducted as bare-knuckle fights compared to when the fighters are required to wear gloves.
Dr. Allan J. Ryan, considered to be a co-founder of the field of sports medicine in 1945, wrote an article in 1983 called "Eliminate Boxing Gloves". He also argued that "In 100 years of bare-knuckle fighting in the United States, which terminated around 1897 with a John L Sullivan heavyweight championship fight, there wasn't a single ring fatality."
We thus re-ignite this discussion about which is safer for the athletes in both boxing and MMA, fighting with or without gloves.
You can play or download No Holds Barred here. You can also download No Holds Barred here. If one link does not work, please try another. The show is in MP3 format, so may take some time to download.
Also, No Holds Barred is available through iTunes.
The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", by Ian Carpenter.
No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:
Beezid.com - Penny Auctions. Your #1 source for exciting auction shopping and outstanding deals on just about anything! Top rated, most trusted auction site online. Where do you shop? Beezid.com - Penny Auctions.
American Top Team. Whether you're a beginner or a champion, train with the champions in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, boxing, wrestling, grappling, and mixed martial arts at American Top Team. Check out their web site at http://americantopteam.com/.
The American Sambo Association, which is committed to becoming the premier association in the U.S. dedicated to the advancement of Sambo. Sambo is a form of sport, self-defense, and combat established in the former Soviet Union during the early twentieth century. For more information, go to ussambo.com.
Labels: Abner Mares, bare-knuckle, boxing, Eddie Goldman, Joseph Agbeko, MMA, No Holds Barred
Sunday, August 07, 2011
No Holds Barred: On the Kelly Pavlik and Alistair Overeem Situations
(Photo by Keisha Morrisey)
On this audio edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman discusses the parallels between the cases of boxer Kelly Pavlik and mixed martial arts fighter and kickboxer Alistair Overeem.
Kelly Pavlik, the former middleweight champion, had been scheduled for a tune-up fight on August 6, but pulled out of the fight just days before it was supposed to occur. While speculation ran rampant about the reasons for his withdrawal, especially since Pavlik had recently been in rehab for alcoholism, a very sober Pavlik argued in an interview with MaxBoxing that he was being used as a "puppet" by his promoter, Top Rank.
Alistair Overeem, the heavyweight champion of both Strikeforce and Dream, and the 2010 K-1 World Grand Prix champion, had been scheduled to fight in the second round of the Strikeforce Grand Prix heavyweight tournament. When he learned that this card would take place on September 10, he said in an interview on HDNet that he requested a postponement of about a month so he could heal from a rib injury, which he also documented. His request was not only rejected, but he was then dropped from the tournament, and then cut entirely by Strikeforce. Three other members of his Golden Glory team were also cut by Strikeforce right after he was.
We draw the parallels between these two cases, even though these two fighters compete in different sports, are at different stages of their careers, and are facing different specific issues. We address the failure of most of the media to report the side of the fighters in cases like this, the lack of adequate representation for fighters, and much more.
You can play or download No Holds Barred here. You can also download No Holds Barred here. If one link does not work, please try another. The show is in MP3 format, so may take some time to download.
Also, No Holds Barred is available through iTunes.
The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", by Ian Carpenter.
No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:
Beezid.com - Penny Auctions. Your #1 source for exciting auction shopping and outstanding deals on just about anything! Top rated, most trusted auction site online. Where do you shop? Beezid.com - Penny Auctions.
American Top Team. Whether you're a beginner or a champion, train with the champions in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, boxing, wrestling, grappling, and mixed martial arts at American Top Team. Check out their web site at http://americantopteam.com/.
The American Sambo Association, which is committed to becoming the premier association in the U.S. dedicated to the advancement of Sambo. Sambo is a form of sport, self-defense, and combat established in the former Soviet Union during the early twentieth century. For more information, go to ussambo.com.
Labels: Alistair Overeem, boxing, Eddie Goldman, Kelly Pavlik, media, MMA, No Holds Barred
Thursday, August 04, 2011
No Holds Barred: Kid Peligro on ADCC 2011 Submission Fighting World Championships
On this audio edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman speaks with our colleague and correspondent Kid Peligro.
Our subject is the ADCC 2011 Submission Fighting World Championships.
This is the most prestigious and greatest submission grappling tournament in the world. This year's edition will take place September 24-25 in Nottingham, England, at the Capital FM Arena.
We spoke with Kid Peligro by phone on Wednesday night about this event and its history and significance. We discussed some of the athletes who will be competing at it, the worldwide growth of grappling since this event's inception in 1998, the potential for grappling to become a major spectator sport, the use of technology to spread the word about grappling including a webcast of the event and Kid's own iPhone app, and much more.
You can play or download No Holds Barred here. You can also download No Holds Barred here. If one link does not work, please try another. The show is in MP3 format, so may take some time to download.
Also, No Holds Barred is available through iTunes.
The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", by Ian Carpenter.
No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:
Beezid.com - Penny Auctions. Your #1 source for exciting auction shopping and outstanding deals on just about anything! Top rated, most trusted auction site online. Where do you shop? Beezid.com - Penny Auctions.
American Top Team. Whether you're a beginner or a champion, train with the champions in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, boxing, wrestling, grappling, and mixed martial arts at American Top Team. Check out their web site at http://americantopteam.com/.
The American Sambo Association, which is committed to becoming the premier association in the U.S. dedicated to the advancement of Sambo. Sambo is a form of sport, self-defense, and combat established in the former Soviet Union during the early twentieth century. For more information, go to ussambo.com.
Labels: ADCC Submission Fighting, Eddie Goldman, grappling, Kid Peligro, No Holds Barred, wrestling
Tuesday, August 02, 2011
No Holds Barred: The Lessons of Henderson-Fedor
On this audio edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman analyzes the main lessons of the Dan Henderson-Fedor Emelianenko heavyweight mixed martial arts fight, which took place July 30 as the main event of a Strikeforce card at the Sears Centre Arena in Hoffman Estates, Illinois, near Chicago. In this fight, Henderson, the Strikeforce light heavyweight champion, won by TKO at 4:12 of the first round.
We explain why this loss by Fedor, his third in a row, does nothing to tarnish his legacy as a fighter after having gone undefeated for ten years. We discuss the wild brawling in this fight and what it says about the level of technique in MMA these days. We analyze the stoppage of this fight when Fedor was knocked out, and argue that not only was the stoppage not early, but was actually late. We discuss the dangers of fighters continuing to get hit after they are concussed on the ground. We note the torrent of negativity which this fight engendered. We comment on the release of Strikeforce heavyweight champion Alistair Overeem, and more.
You can play or download No Holds Barred here. You can also download No Holds Barred here. If one link does not work, please try another. The show is in MP3 format, so may take some time to download.
Also, No Holds Barred is available through iTunes.
The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", by Ian Carpenter.
No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:
M-1 Global. Founded in 1998, M-1 Global has staged over 100 mixed martial arts events worldwide including the M-1 Selection tournaments and M-1 Challenge events, in Eastern and Western Europe, North America, and Asia. While discovering and developing the world's next generation of superstar fighters, M-1 Global's greatest asset is the number one heavyweight in mixed martial arts history, Fedor Emelianenko. Make sure to catch their shows from around the world, including on Showtime in the U.S., and visit their web site, M-1Global.com, and the M-1 Facebook page for news, videos, and live streaming events.
Beezid.com - Penny Auctions. Your #1 source for exciting auction shopping and outstanding deals on just about anything! Top rated, most trusted auction site online. Where do you shop? Beezid.com - Penny Auctions.
American Top Team. Whether you're a beginner or a champion, train with the champions in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, boxing, wrestling, grappling, and mixed martial arts at American Top Team. Check out their web site at http://americantopteam.com/.
The American Sambo Association, which is committed to becoming the premier association in the U.S. dedicated to the advancement of Sambo. Sambo is a form of sport, self-defense, and combat established in the former Soviet Union during the early twentieth century. For more information, go to ussambo.com.
Labels: Alistair Overeem, Dan Henderson, Eddie Goldman, Fedor Emelianenko, MMA, No Holds Barred
